Snapping Turtles in a Pond?

I went catfishing at a buddy's pond the other day and caught a couple of big snapping turtles (3-4 feet in diameter?). I only saw one out there last year, but see them & catch them quite often out there this year .. not to mention, the fishing has been worse.

So, two questions ..
1) I'm guessing he definitely needs to those snapping turtles out of there, right?

2) Short of shooting them, is there a way to kill them? I don't carry a gun and couldn't figure out a way I could kill the damn thing, at least without risking losing a finger or two.

I would love to hear anyone's thoughts .. there is quite the debate going on amongst our group of friends.

Cut off the head and clean and then fry. Some of the best eating you ever had!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man turtle is $15 bucks a pound at the fish market.. Kill them and sell them to the market.

yes, they do not need to be in there. if they are that big they will do some damage to the fish population in the pond but are you stretching it just a tad at 3 and 4 ft across on a turtle? that would make the turtle weigh way over 100 lbs and be way over 100 years old. you are not supposed to kill them. but if it's my pond the turtle loses. just don't tell. if they are alligator snapping turtles you should get the conservation people to remove them. really. they are endangered but still a bad pest to have in a pond. do/did the ones you caught have ridges around the shell and down the back? or was the shell smooth?

I've heard of trapping them in ponds.....

We would sink a 55 gallon barrel a couple if feet in the water then put a board across it slanted from the water up to the bank. The turtles will crawl up on the board to sun. When they drop off, they fall in the barrel and can get out.

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Originally Posted by C N

I've heard of trapping them in ponds.....

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the method I've heard of uses a trap attached to a board baited with meat. Turn the board upside down and push it out in the middle of the pond.

I used to catch them on trout lines in farm ponds. I will tell you this it sure isn't fun to catch on of those turtles in a minnow seine when your seining a farm pond!

Thanks for all the comments guys. I'll definitely pass them along. If you trapped them, how far away from the pond would you have to release them so that they wouldn't return?

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Originally Posted by olduckhunter

are you stretching it just a tad at 3 and 4 ft across on a turtle? ... do/did the ones you caught have ridges around the shell and down the back? or was the shell smooth?

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3-4 feet is probably stretching it, but I'd say 2 1/2 feet in diameter at the least. I really didn't pay much attention to the shell .. I'll try to next time.

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Originally Posted by billd2626

Thanks for all the comments guys. I'll definitely pass them along. If you trapped them, how far away from the pond would you have to release them so that they wouldn't return?
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Bout 100 feet. ;)